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Some election results hinge on provisional ballots
Bourbon County Commissioners on Friday agreed it would not make sense to begin talking about firm plans for a new jail until after they put their official stamp on the April 7 election results.
Commissioners will consider 56 provisional ballots and canvass all the votes at 10 a.m. Monday. The provisional ballots could change the results of some of the races.
The $6.8 million bond issue to fund a new jail. Voters were asked to allow the county to increase the countywide retail sales tax by .4 percent. The issue passed by 12 votes, 1,012 to 1,000.
But other races were closer.
There is a one-vote difference in the Redfield mayor's race. Unofficially, Leland D. Feagins received 16 votes and Clarence "Ed" Guss received 15 votes.
A two-vote difference places the USD 235 Uniontown at-large position in limbo. The unofficial results are Sally Johnson, 196 and Terry Nading, 198.
The provisional ballots are those cast under several circumstances. When commissioners go through the provisional ballots, they will have a list of considerations provided by the Kansas Secretary of State's Office. After the canvass board reviews the provisional ballots individually, those that will be counted will be run through a voting machine to be tallied.
A few reasons provisional ballots are cast include a voter may not have been registered, moved and did not change their voter registration, or did not have their photo identification.
Typically, the county commissioners serve as the canvass board, but due to illness, First District Commissioner Lynne Oharah is not expected to be present. Bourbon County Treasurer Rhonda Dunn has been asked to sit on the board in his place.
Dunn served on the canvass board when then Commission Chairman Allen Warren asked to be excluded from the canvass for the August 2014 Primary and November 2014 General elections. Warren was defeated in the primary by Oharah.
Commissioners will also break a write-in tie for a Mapleton council seat.
County Clerk Kendell Mason reported voter turnout was 17.86 percent.
"Which is more than a lot of city-school board elections have been," she said.
Other county business
* Commissioners voted to purchase a 2012 Caterpillar D6K bulldozer from Foley Equipment of Chanute to replace a bulldozer that overturned at the landfill in March.
There was no injury as a result of the accident, but the county's bulldozer was totaled by the insurance company.
The replacement bulldozer costs $131,796 but after receiving a $40,000 settlement from the insurance company, $91,796 will be taken from the landfill fund to pay for the replacement.
Public Works Director Jim Harris has said the replacement bulldozer could be used to build a new lagoon and other dirt work when the county builds a new hopper building at the landfill, saving the county money.
* Commissioners met briefly with Holly Powers, engineer tech from Schafer, Kline and Warren. Powers is working with the county to rewrite its policy on culvert installations.
She provided a rough draft of the new policy, which will allow private contractors to install culverts. On Monday, Commissioners clarified that contractors must be licensed and bonded.
"The goal is to keep (the policy) very simple," Harris said.
He said he would like it to be no more than six pages, or less if possible. He said if the policy is too lengthy, contractors won't take the time to read the entire document.
He also provided Powers with a sample of a policy used in Johnson County.
Commissioners asked Harris to work with Powers on combining the Johnson County policy with the rough draft.
Commission Chair Barbara Albright also asked how the county should handle utility companies. For several months, commissioners have been waiving permit fees for all utility companies.
Third District Commissioner Harold Coleman said he believes if a utility company cuts across a county road instead of boring beneath, the company should compensate the county.
"But then you have the rural water district," Coleman said. "They can't bore."
Powers suggested the county could establish a separate fee for water districts, but no decision was made by the commissioners.
* A five-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel was held with Harris, County Clerk Kendell Mason and Human Resources Clerk Debbie Schoenberger. No action was taken.
* The commissioners appointed Penny Barnes, Dale Johnson and Warren to three-year terms on the Riverfront Authority Board. Warren will replace Bob Love, who asked commissioners to consider Warren.